Q & A with Robina

Kristina Mah, who organizes Lawudo Trek, Ven. Robina, and the 2019 Lawudo Trekkers offering a Guru Rinpoche statue to Lama Zopa Rinpoche just before Rinpoche's teaching at Kopan Nunnery on April 5, 2019.

QUESTION Dear Ven. Robina,

Since my February meditation retreat, I’ve been practicing meditation each morning for 15 minutes, typically on an object, the breath, the mind, or the stillness outside the mind.  

Lately I’ve gotten more onto concepts and am currently spending time on each of The Six Perfections, [generosity, morality, patience, joyous effort, concentration, and wisdom] thinking about one perfection throughout the day following the morning meditation. I’m a little stuck on generosity.  

The only jump off point I can think of is: generosity, or giving, is the opposite of taking. 

Please give me some guidance.  

With folded hands, I thank you.

VEN. ROBINA As Lama Tsong Khapa says in his "Hymns of Experience":

Generosity is the wish-fulfilling jewel with which you can fulfill the hopes of all sentient beings.
It is the best weapon for cutting the selfish knot of miserliness.
It is the basis of the enlightened activity of the bodhisattvas
In that it develops the selflessness and undaunted courage to lead all sentient beings to enlightenment,
And it is the reason for your good reputation to spread in the ten directions.
Knowing this, the wise masters teach the path of generosity away to others your body and wealth and the merit from your virtuous actions.
I, a yogi, have had the experience of doing exactly that.
If you also seek liberation, please cultivate yourself in the same way.

Understand that it’s the first of the six, and therefore the easiest. And remember that the attitude that drives it is the recognition that sentient beings are our business: we’re there to help them. It’s our job description. Understood in this way, then it’s clear that we need to be alert to sentient beings needs and, knowing that it’s our job to give to them, aspire to do just that. 

The first level of generosity is the generosity of offering material things. Then there’s spiritual advice. The third level is called the generosity of protection.

Obviously, giving material things should be easier than giving advice – but I think it’s the way around for most of us. We LOVE to give advice, whether we’re qualified or not! But to give a dollar is not so easy for us.

The attitude of the bodhisattva would be just like a mother’s for her precious child. If your child is hungry you don’t wonder who will feed them – you know it’s your job. 

Normally we only think of giving to friends; here we’re trying to cultivate the aspiration to give to whoever is there in front of us.